Sin Vergüenza, La Telenovela

In the second interview in this four-part series, TheBody.com sat down with the director of Sin Vergüenza, Paco Farias. A longtime watcher and admirer of telenovelas, Farias knew he had to pay homage to the format while updating it for a modern audience. In this interview, he talks about the lengths to which the actors went to perform the scenes in English and Spanish; the privilege of being a Latino director taking the helm of this unique project; and his favorite scenes to shoot throughout the process.

Family secrets … betrayed trust … condom usage?

The classic, persistent themes of Spanish-language soap operas, also known as telenovelas, get a refreshing, enthralling update in Sin Vergüenza (Without Shame), the new telenovela that is taking the Internet by storm. Presented in English as well as Spanish, and imagined and realized by California’s vast AltaMed health care network, the aim of the show is to “educate without being educational.” The project is a unique endeavor — it combines a fresh narrative format with the ability to tackle real-world issues such as HIV, stigma, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) issues, family issues, infidelity, shame, aging, dating and more.

At first glance, the Salazar family seems to be happy, healthy and living the American dream.

One of the nation’s largest community health providers is launching an original telenovela series distributed via YouTube, aimed at educating Latino audiences about the spread of HIV and the need for universal testing.

AltaMed, a network of health clinics in Los Angeles, has created an HIV/AIDS awareness four-episode YouTube show in both English and Spanish, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sin Verguenza (Without Shame) follows the fictional Salazar family, who live in East Los Angeles. The telenovela is based on the experiences of AltaMed patients. Clinic officials hope a local television station will air the show.

An original telenovela set in East Los Angeles, with a suspenseful plot involving infidelity, family secrets and homophobia, launched on the Internet Nov 30, just in time for World AIDS Day.

In the world of Spanish language TV, the telenovela reigns supreme. These Spanish language serials are rife with scandalous familial dramas that keep viewers hungry for more.  And the plot line of a new telenovela web project by one of the nation’s largest community health clinics is no exception.

AltaMed, a Los Angeles health clinic, launched a serialized drama about HIV/AIDS, called “Sin Verguenza” (Without Shame) on November 30, and hopes to decrease stigma and raise awareness about the disease among Latinos. State Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) announced the telenovela at one of the clinic’s sites to mark World AIDS Day, December 1. The multipart serial recounts the story of the Salazars, a fictional family living in East Los Angeles. Writers have based the storyline on the experiences of AltaMed clinic patients.

In the world of Spanish language TV, the telenovela reigns supreme. These Spanish language serials are rife with scandalous familial dramas that keep viewers hungry for more.  And the plot line of a new telenovela web project by one of the nation’s largest community health clinics is no exception.

Hoping to raise awareness and decrease stigma among Latinos, a Los Angeles health clinic launched a multi-part telenovela Friday about HIV and AIDS.

The serialized drama, “Sin Verguenza” (Without Shame), follows one fictional family, the Salazars, who live in East Los Angeles. The story lines are based on experiences by patients at the clinic, AltaMed, and cover such topics as infidelity, stigma and family secrets. The four-episode show — in both English and Spanish — is part of a public health campaign to promote HIV prevention, encourage patients to get tested and urge patients with HIV to seek medical care, clinic staff said. The clinic used a federal grant to produce the show, which is airing on YouTube and which clinic officials hope will get picked up by a local television station.

It’s a hard issue to talk about, but one that our Los Angeles–based Affiliate AltaMed Health Services Corporation has committed to tackling head-on.  AltaMed is the largest independent federally qualified community health center in the U.S., serving 930,000 people annually in the Southern California area through 43 locations.

Hoping to raise awareness and decrease stigma among Latinos, a Los Angeles health clinic launched a multi-part telenovela Friday about HIV and AIDS.

An original telenovela set in East Los Angeles, with a suspenseful plot involving infidelity, family secrets and homophobia, launches on the Internet tomorrow, Nov. 30, just in time for World AIDS Day.

Los Angeles, CA–  On World AIDS Day, Nov. 30th, AltaMed Health Services Launches an Original Four Episode Telenovela Series Shot in English and Spanish Raising Awareness for HIV/AIDS Prevention.

On World AIDS Day AltaMed Health Services Launches an HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign with an Original Four Episode Telenovela Web Series to Raise Awareness for HIV/AIDS Prevention.